Draumer Edda: Ragnarok
by ElGato44
Summary: Sequel to Draumer Edda: A Yule Christmas. The light is dead and the darkness has awakened. The gods of the Forbidden Garden must deal with the aftermath of a death of friend, an aftermath that could mean certain doom for the world.
1. Prelude

**So here it is the almost dead on arrival sequel to Draumer Edda. I hope this makes up for the lack of updates for the past several years. But my muse returned and I hope to continue for the completion of this story. Enjoy!**

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Prelude:

Mount Olympus was always a safe haven, a home of glory and beauty for the gods and goddesses that resided in it. The halls were marble, the decorations gold, statues from the greatest artists the Olympians could ever offer, filled the perfect masonry and architecture of the Hellenistic halls.

They were nestled above the earth, hidden amidst the clouds, for fear of what laid below. After Zeus destroyed the Titans and exiled them, there was always just a little bit of unrest on when or if they would strike back. As such, there were plenty of precautions. Not just Titans, but monsters and creatures as well.

Zeus was gone. Off to smack some sense into some of his fellow gods from his home and from other pantheons. That said, Olympus was always very much a self governing ship. The Gods held themselves in check for the most part. Or at least for how much Greeks were used to keeping themselves in check. Those who would want to do unruly things while Zeus was gone would have to face judgement at the hands of Athena, who at this point was the go-to goddess in charge. The "supervisor" as some of the gods mocked. That said, her presence ensured a steady, even rhythm within Olympus.

Poseidon, the god who technically was next in charge after Zeus and Hades, but chose to stay in his realm, limped to the halls through the gates that led to the sea. He crawled out of the black waters, gasping in pain. Hephaestus was the first to notice.

The deformed forger quickly limped towards the sea god and helped him out of the blackening pool. Poseidon's black-green hair and beard was plastered limply to his face, the mussels and mollusks that grew and lived on his body were falling off. He was oozing dark red blood from the gills on his neck, and from several gashes on his side.

"Hermes," the sea god rasped against his pain. His shakiness frighted Hephaestus. He failed to recall the last time he'd see, Poseidon so terrified, "...get Hermes...need to send...to everyone...monsters...creatures from darkness are breaking free…."

He collapsed onto the marble floor and Hephaestus wasted no time in alerting Hermes to gather everyone.

The Olympians had all gathered down beneath the surface of the human world, the very area where they monitored all the vile creatures of their world. It was a prison of sorts, that mostly housed monsters from deep beneath the sea, Poseidon's realm creating a divide between the dangers of the darkness of the deep and the rest of the Olympian world.

Over the centuries they had improved their technology to keep the world and Olympus safe with airlock doors and long corridors with varying checkpoints. It was an underground labyrinth connected to the harsh seas.

"Everyone here?" Athena asked, her keen eyes scanning the ones who had gathered.

"Those who matter," Ares growled as he placed his large hands on the console that controlled the doors and prison shackles and monitored activity.

"Poseidon has been gravely wounded. Attacked by a creature from underground. We will send contingents to-"

Before Athena could finish speaking of her plan, the lobby where they had all gathered shook violently, gods stumbling and being thrown off balance, chunks of the structure crumbling with the quakes.

There was no time for further discussion, and even Athena seemed eager to head straight for direct action in this case.

"Some of them are already breaking free!" Hermes cried out, taking a look at the console's readings, "This is not good."

"We'll meet them head on," Ares said calmly drawing his sword. Athena, however, stopped him.

"No, we still need people here to defend, should something worse happen."

Ares sent a harsh glare at his sister, the same and yet the opposite of him in every way. The shining glory of the Olympians. Humans loved her so. He had a healthy respect for his wise sister, but he rarely agreed with her. "Then, how do you propose we stop this threat? Negotiate with vile monsters!"

"Absolutely not," Athena replied in her usual even tone, a tone that never failed to cause an ease in dire situations. "I will take a forward advance to seal the checkpoints inside. The rest of you remain here to defend should the worst happen. "

As soon as she noticed Ares' brow straighten in disdain, she added, placing an encouraging hand on her brother's armored shoulder, "Ares, find value in your defensive skills. Only a strong defense can truly save Olympus if we all fail."

He didn't respond to her words, but complied with her instructions in remaining in the prison monitoring station with the rest of their family, watching, a bit with envy and with uncertainty as Athena donned her war helmet and took a small contingent of her soldiers to the doors that led to the labyrinth of the underwater prison.

"Ready, boys?" she asked her soldiers lightly as the airlock doors were opened for them, revealing grey cement halls that stood between them and whatever was trying to break free. They gave no verbal affirmation, they just followed her as she led them down the hall.

The first few blocks of halls held no monsters or disturbances, but the rumbling could be felt. Athena advised her soldiers keep an eye out for the walls. "Look for any weaknesses in the structures. Monsters aren't the only thing that will do us in."

They finally reached the first checkpoint to find it flooding violently, the rush of water making any forward progress impossible. It was then that she could hear Ares' voice carry from his station, a useful power for communication.

"Athena, you've got to hear me, the walls are crumbling in there you have to retreat back! We'll evacuate."

In the halls, Athena could hear her brother's concerns, and immediately saw them as more water began bursting through widening cracks and weaknesses in the cement halls. She turned to her soldiers and gave the order to fall back. Evacuating to fight another day was a good idea.

But as soon as they began to retreat back, Athena behind her soldiers, the walls were quickly starting to give way. The goddess urged her soldiers to go on ahead faster and they raced as fast as they could down the halls, weaving through the labyrinth, the floor quickly becoming flooded as more of the sea began to leak through, water was bursting everywhere through the walls, catching her soldiers off guard as they were cut off by violent spouts. One was hit, collapsing on the floor as the others raced towards the door.

Athena stayed with her downed soldier, "Ares, we aren't going to make it. Take everyone and leave now."

As soon as Ares heard that he immediately shot that down, "No, no, no, no I'm staying here, you're going to make it. I'm right at the door."

He left the console as the rest of the gods followed Athena's instructions. He slid by the door of the prison, waiting and assuring his sister that he would not leave her. "Come on Athena, I'm right here, I'll lock the doors once you get through, just keep going!"

Panic was in his voice, fear only familiar to him through the eyes of mortals. But this...losing a crutch of his family, the very thought was crippling, even as he stared down the bare and empty hallway ahead, waiting for some sign of his sister.

"Come on, Athena," he called again. Still nothing.

Then a groan, a long, loud uneasy groan. The walls suddenly gave way, water rushing and flooding rushing towards the open prison door as Ares screamed, helpless as he had to seal the doors shut. Forever.

Ares, in the silence of the control room, pressed his back against the wall, tears threatening to spill, a sickness like he never felt before welling in his chest. Emotion. Grief. What was the use of grief? Whether to God of War had use for grief would be something he had to think about later, because now he didn't much care. He startled as he heard tapping on the Hephaestus made glass windows of the sealed door.

Tears in his eyes, he peered through the glass, seeing Athena's soldiers try to wave to open the door in desperation, water reaching their chests. Eventually Athena waded through and came to Ares' vision, a look of quiet acceptance of her fate gracing her features. She placed a hand on the glass, calmly, affectionately. Speechless, tears finally spilling, Ares placed his hand against hers on the other side of the glass.

"Take care of them, Ares," she gasped through tears, fear, for once, taking away her calm demeanor, leaving a vulnerable goddess who knew they were going to see death. "Please."

Ares sucked in an shuddering breath. If Athena accepted her fate, there was nothing he could do. And he hated feeling helpless, useless. He could do nothing as the last flood of raging water completely engulfed his sister.

As the grand mountain of Olympus fell, swallowed by earth and sea, crumbling, the cries of the gods and goddesses as they tried to escape pierced the sky. Poseidon, who was busy trying to help evacuate everyone called Hermes over.

"Find Zeus. Or find a way to get him over here, quick," he hollered at Hermes' floating form.

"Quick is what I do," the messenger god said flippantly, but his expression quickly hardened. "Just tell him our home has fallen?"

"What else would you describe it?" the sea god growled, helping an injured nymph onto one of Ares' war chariots.

Hermes raced away. There was going to be no easy way to deliver this message.

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 **As usual, you know the drill. And yes, reviews do feed me.**


	2. Prose 1

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Broccoli and co with a few depictions of others that are mine. For example, Odin. Yeah, whipping him right out.**

 **You'll see fairly quickly this will be a massively different story than Yule Christmas. Enjoy either way.**

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Prose 1:

Apollo jerked awake from his nightmare, feeling the cold and icy sweat on his body. As soon as he awoke, the dream escaped his memory but he could feel it. A premonition. The pang he felt in his gut, that gnawing feeling was telling him something too. Something was very very wrong.

And he didn't want to deal with it. It hadn't been a full two days since Zeus told them Balder, the beloved God of Light and his fellow classmate, killed himself. There were so many questions, and now, the answers may have died with Balder.

"Damn," he uttered under his breath as he sat up in his bed. He took one glance out his window at the stormy moonlight and he sighed as he gathered himself together. There wasn't going to be sleep tonight.

When he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see Dionysus awake as well, grabbing a glass of orange juice. Straight, no liquor, a first maybe.

"Can't sleep either?" he asked from the open refrigerator door. Apollo nodded, running a hand through his unkempt hair, "Yeah, I...I think I saw-no-felt something."

"I did too," Dionysus confessed. "Do you think it's because of, you know…"

He gave an empty gesture, usure of how to state the obvious. Apollo was sure Balder had something to do why he felt in such a funk, but in his core, he knew it was something else too. That something else, he dreaded what that was.

Even worse is when Hades appeared in his robe from the dark shadows of his room. "You too?" Dionysus asked. His uncle nodded.

"I'm not sure…" Hades drifted off, but touched his right chest area, where his curse mark was. "My mark has been throbbing incessantly. Normally I don't feel that. I certainly didn't feel that when Balder-"

He trailed off, not wanting to bring up such a sore subject, and his nephews hung their heads in sadness at the reopened wound of that loss.

"What I felt when Balder passed was different. But, by my guess is Zeus will know," he continued. "He's been holding something back from all of us."

"Yeah," Dionysus chipped up, lounging on the sofa, propping his feet up on the coffee table, but no matter how relaxed he tried to get, for a god all about 'chillaxing'-as he put it-he couldn't seem to shake the grip of anxiousness on his spine. "Wouldn't be the first time. Then again, a student did die under his watch. Who knows what all the paperwork he has to be filing for that."

The only way Apollo could think to do was dip his head in his hands, trying to make sense of his powers and what it was telling him. He wouldn't sleep, and neither did his half brother and uncle, and they were prepared for any punishment for their lateness as they rushed to school the next day, wanting to beat the stormy clouds that were circling overhead. Zeus was taking out his frustration on them.

Though they were late, apparently so was Thor. As was Loki. As well as Thoth. Only the three Japanese students were present. Tsukito and his brother, Takeru, were sitting patiently. Takeru in particular seemed glad to see them. Apollo was relieved to see Yui in the seat next to Tsukito, glancing at them over her shoulder. He immediately frowned at her hesitant and haunted look. She was still shaken at seeing a friend kill himself.

Apollo wished he could destroy that memory for her.

"Did...something happen?" asked Takeru, taking a good look at all three haggard faces. "You know, outside of...ummm…"

He made a vague gesture, none wanting to speak of what happened to their late classmate plainly.

"You all haven't...sensed anything odd have you? Like a hurting sense?" Hades followed with his own question, brow straight in seriousness.

Takeru and Tsukito glanced at each other in confusion, both shaking their heads. "No, we haven't sensed anything odd other than dealing with the obvious."

"So just us then?" Apollo glanced at his family members, who appeared even more disturbed that they, and only they, could sense the dread, the unknown despair outside of the death of their friend.

Dionysus shook his wine-colored head, for once, taking an initiative, "I'm gonna talk to him."

"Who?" Takeru asked over Apollo's, "Fine."

"Zeus. He knows something," Hades answered their Japanese friends' curious faces, Dionysus nodded along. The chair under Takeru screeched as he jumped out of it. "You guys need any backup?"

"Thoth is late as well," Yui spoke up, her voice still wavering. "I suppose he may be colluding with Zeus at the moment."

Dionysus' lips curled in a determined smile as he gave the thumbs up, "All the better to interrupt them."

Apollo led them out too the courtyard towards the main hall where Zeus usually sat as headmaster. He shoved open the large double doors, catching his father right where he expected him. They marched in waiting for the doors to close before addressing their headmaster.

"Da-Zeus!" Apollo called across the hall, but any confrontation immediately died seeing his father race towards him, clearly in a hurry. "Not now Apollo," Zeus growled dismissively. "I must be going."

"W-where?"

"Home. Mount Olympus. There has been an incident."

"What!?" several members of the group declared. Apollo however, clenched his jaw. Zeus did not halt to explain. "Thoth!" he pointed towards their teacher lurking in the shadows by a pillar, "you're in charge until I return."

No sooner had Zeus uttered his command when the double doors burst open with an intense blizzard of wind, flushing the whole hall in darkness, candles iced out, cold rushing in an instant. Zeus certainly did not expect this.

But he knew what it meant. He knew he wasn't fast enough as he gazed around at his transformed hall, before his eyes fell upon his students. Thoth similarly became on the defensive near his pillar.

A deep cawing reverberated throughout the hall as two huge ravens flew in from the outside carrying silence behind them as they effortlessly swooped in, wings flapping as they crossed paths and landed quite proudly on Zeus' throne.

The stood there for a moment before flapping their wings vigorously, feathers flying as they transformed from black ravens into two men, twins possibly, nearly identical in height, both had black hair shorn around the sides, long and feathered at the top. Both had tattoos marking around their temples. Both barefoot with long black woolen overshirts. The only difference between the two was one had a black goatee and the other was relatively clean shaven.

"Huginn! Muninn!" Zeus roared as he stomped towards his throne, cape billowing behind him, fear and having his pride wounded driving his temper. "Tell your master that I do not have time for his games today!"

These...twins didn't respond verbally as they stepped down to meet the Olympic god face to face, from their position high on _his_ throne. They didn't speak, but by the way their eyes pierced through Zeus' they didn't have to. Thought and Mind could communicate with or without words.

' _We are not of Time, lightning-bearer. And we certainly cannot reverse it,'_ Huginn's thoughts swirled in Zeus' head, making his message clear. ' _You can't run away now.'_

Muninn, the clean shaven twin, as his brother telepathically told Zeus off, began muttering furiously to himself transmitting his thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences into the air in a slew of whispered runes. And then quite suddenly stopped.

The group swivelled their heads back towards the doorway when a rush of cold flooded in again, the little light from the doorway blocked by a heavy mass. An eclipse whose shadow engulfed the entire hall. Each bootstep the figure took cracked against the marble, chains and metal clinking. Yui could see her breath frost in the air, but her adrenaline had her feel none of the cold that followed this massive...monster.

He had to be a god, taller and bigger than Zeus, dressed nearly all in black, bone, and silver. Over his shoulders he wore a cape, black but shining like raven's feathers, similar to tips of the man's long equally dark hair that touched his shoulders. The god wore a helmet, a skull of a bear or a wolf or some sort of unknown monster, horns, like those of an ox, protruding outwards on either side.

He drew closer, one eye hidden in the shadows of his helmet, the other a piercing ice blue. Yui's ears perked and her heart stammered as she heard Hades gasp to himself, "Oh no... It's Odin."

For months of hearing stories about Odin, Yui couldn't quite imagine what he would look like, but his whole aura was exactly as she imagined. Terrifying. As scary as Zeus was, it didn't quite compare to the distinct feeling of being plunged into a nightmare that was Odin's mere presence.

Despite this, Odin had the scary rugged harshness that some would call handsome as Zeus could have been considered distinguished. From initial glance, he seemed to be younger than Zeus, his long hair black as ink, beard equally black, well trimmed and groomed with short ends woven into tiny beads of silver. But age rarely mattered given the simple fact that Hades looked quite a bit younger than his younger brother, a question that had never been quite answered. From Loki's and Thor's and Balder's tales about the Supreme God of the Norse, Odin roamed the worlds as an old man, much like Zeus liked to confront mortals in his child form. Whether or not this monstrosity was Odin's true form was really anyone's guess.

"Zeus."

His voice was just as deep, but ten times more seething, rumbling like a panther, covering a dangerous suppressed rage. Huginn and Muninn had transformed back into their raven forms and swooped over to their master, both perching on his left shoulder.

"Would you explain to me..." his voice was even and low. The fact that Odin wasn't yelling made it worse. Spite was dripping with each cool word. "...that when I was...resting, all of a sudden my Thought and Mind told me of a strange and upsetting story."

"A headmaster hiding a dead student, no message, or condolences to the family. His actions neglectful, and withholding the body themselves," Odin spoke in strange phrases, as if he were speaking to himself. He was a loremaster, one of his many strengths, an expert in words, and was aided by the memories and mind of his raven Muninn, translating his omnipotence through slow, careful, but incendiary words that paint a vivid picture.

"Why would that be, Thunder One?" It was assumed Odin was speaking of Zeus with that name, but it was quite possible that he was addressing Thor, who had appeared unnoticed, from one of the side doors, wearing in his dress shirt as he spoke evenly.

"Disrespect, Allfather," Thor answered. Gone was his anger, but his rage over what happened to his brother's legacy still bubbled underneath.

"Yes?" Odin purred tilting his head towards his son, as if he struggled to hear.

"Disrespect," Thor repeated again, flashing his golden stare at Zeus in anger.

Zeus held his staff at the ready as Odin drew a massive hand inside his cloak, pulling out a shining silver rod and held it like a baton at this side. The rod however wasn't simple shiny stick, it began growing steadily, vines wrapping around itself making the rod longer.

"Disrespect. And for the dead no less," Odin purred, rubbing his bearded chin patronizingly. "We all know the answer to that, do we not Thor?"

By now the silver rod had grown longer and taller, the tip sharp and pointed, like a spear, practically glowing next to Odin's black figure. "It is an act of WAR!"

Odin jammed his spear into the floor and Zeus drew up his staff, but was distracted as the glass from the windows of the upper mezzanine shattered and a rush of furious winged creatures flocked through thrusting the hall into utter pandemonium. Even worse, the front double doors burst through and warriors donned in mail and armer, features otherwise masked and vague blocking the front exit as the winged creatures, valkyries picked off the gods one by one, using ropes and nets to capture and bind them.

Zeus used his power directly at Odin, sending a flash of lightning that the featureless barbarians ran in front of, shields up. They were destroyed, disappeared in a puff of ash, but their purpose was fulfilled. Odin was untouched, having had enough time to use his seidr, his sorcery, to have one of his valkyries' ropes wrap itself around Zeus' ankle and yank him upwards into the air.

It was at this point that Huginn and Muninn flew away, disappearing amongst the chaos.

Hades and Tsukito were the first to be bound and captured, but Apollo had taken a few swipes with his fists at the passing creatures, but it didn't take long for him to be overwhelmed. Dionysus was in mid-air ready to dive out a widow when a valkyrie snatched him by the ankle and dragged him back into the main hall.

Takeru's shortness briefly came in handy as he was able to duck under the swoops of the creatures, before one particularly stubborn one pulled him up by the collar and tucked him under her arm.

Yui managed to bypass the initial chaos, until a valkyrie swooped down and landed right in front of her, spear in hand. These valkyries weren't the paladin angels Yui was used to seeing depicted. They were downright Amazonian no doubt. Giants compared to the average person, thick hair woven into braids and knots, faces masked by blue black markings and runes. This valkyrie moved emotionless towards her and Yui could only back away, seconds from going into an all out sprint when a big body came between them.

"Not this one, valkyrie," Thor barked, staring straight up at the winged woman almost defiantly. "She is not involved. She is only human, she would not understand such things."

The valkyrie regarded her for a moment before thinking better of it and flew off to aid a fellow valkyrie in restraining a particularly wily Apollo. After, Thor turned to face her, words dying on his lips. Yui could tell that he had long cracked, shortly after the death of his brother he could barely keep his stoic front anymore. He never thought he'd be this scarred after seeing death. Still, Yui couldn't help but withhold a bit of sympathy as she saw her friends be rounded up like prisoners, lightning rods for Odin's wrath.

Everything eventually settled and Odin summoned his suspended rope closer, dropping Zeus by his ankle so that the thunder god hung upside down staring eye to eye with Odin.

"Nothing against your friends here, but I don't want them interfering," Odin rumbled, practically leering at the restrained students. Then his eye fell on Zeus and his tone became serious, teeth barely separating as he spoke. "You can quickly make amends. Take me to where he is, Zeus."

"Trust me when I say that you don't want to see it at this time and I have my reasons to-"

Zeus was cut off from his rambling explanation as Odin with deadly gentleness covered the Greek god's mouth with his giant hand.

"Ohhh and trust _me,_ Zeus," Odin purred with a menacing arrogance that for once made Yui feel sorry for Zeus. "If your next words aren't 'Let me show you to your second born's body, so that you may give him his _rightful_ burial' there is no use in wasting your tongue."

Zeus only gave him an odd look in response, and Odin let out an annoyed, "Where's my boy, Zeus?!"

Zeus sputtered and managed to draw his head away from Odin's hand to get a word in edgewise, "Be patient and we can talk, but right now I must be leaving."

"Neglecting your duties as Headmaster again?"

"Olympus is destroyed!" Zeus finally yelled, his words bouncing off the pillars and echoing to the point that silence followed. Particularly from the three Greek gods. Apollo looked aghast, as if he hadn't heard right.

But then, to his horror, he now knew why he felt that dread, that sickness that morning. It was the feeling of his family members, of his home dying. Meanwhile, Yui looked on at the three Greeks in pity. The sense of absolute loss since Balder's violent end had been piling.

As if he took all goodness with him.

Taking a deep breath, Zeus quickly calmed, but he was more pleading with the Raven king than explaining at this point. It didn't take any of Odin's ravens to see the desperation in the god's eyes. "I'm surprised your Thought and Mind missed it. Odin, I have to go back and try to gather what is left of my home."

Odin surprisingly went quiet, but seemed ever the master of defining the atmosphere. And it hung suspended, calm and quiet, as Odin's one eye shifted around his rival's face, catching for any hint of deception or bad faith.

They were interrupted by a loud groan, like the moan of a ship, and then the ground shook with a violent tremor, that lurched the students nearly off their feets. If it weren't for being tightly captive by valkyries, they would've all been sent scrambling.

"What now?" Zeus groaned from his suspended position in front of Odin. But the Norse Supreme God seemed to have the answers covered. His two ravens suddenly swooped in, and as soon as they landed on his shoulder, the icy glow of Odin's eye widened. "What?"

Another violent rumble shook the building to the core, pillars cracking, dust from the masonry falling. Zeus took that opportunity to magically wrest himself free from Odin's grasp, but it would not matter either way. The Raven king was far more concerned with whatever was causing the tremors.

Still Zeus growled, "No, they can't be here-"

"Creatures?" Odin addressed his question towards Zeus, having just witnessed what his Huginn and Muninn saw. "Serpents of darkness."

"Somehow they've been released," Zeus explained. "One of them broke out of it's confines in the seas under Mount Olympus. I do not yet know if this has anything to do with Balder's death." His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath. "But if I were a betting fool…"

In a violent flash Odin thrust his spear towards his valkyries and commanded them to let the gods go. "Leave them, and scout and defend the outside."

The valkyries release the rest of the gods, only the valkyrie holding Takeru reluctant to immediately follow orders. She finally dropped him unceremoniously on the floor, stepping over him to follow her sisters towards the source of the violent quakes.

The students hesitated in launching into action. There wasn't much they could do. Not without their powers. Meanwhile, the ground shook again, pieces of the ceiling now falling. Apollo raced towards the side exit, and the others quickly followed. Yui as well, side-stepping Thor and followed closely behind, nearly running straight into Hades who stopped mid-stride to yell something at Zeus.

Zeus started towards the main entrance as Thoth came running in, then skidded to a halt, calling Zeus' name, panting just a little. "Unbind me. If I am to help. Unbind me. Us"

Zeus only paused for a moment to think on it, but the continual rumbling required him to take a shorter time to analyze his decision in releasing Thoth of his bounds to his school. He nodded, "Very well."

As the students climbed the balcony of the main hall, it didn't take long to see the likely source of the earthquakes. A massive crater inside the courtyard, splitting and cracking the earth. Underneath the sediments and wet soil of the crater they could see something slimy, dark and moving... 

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The last time Anubis recalled himself doing his godly duty was long ago. From before Osiris...His death caused a wound in Anubis that never fully healed. He was young then, walking along the pearly banks of the nile, the king Osiris regaling Anubis with tales of his journeys, of what he had learned as a king among gods, and how proud Anubis should be of his responsibility. Osiris' gentle hand was on his shoulder, his smile beaming like Ra's light, and Anubis smiled back.

Young Anubis never saw the shadow coming as it cast between them and Ra. His memory recalled a god, dipped in a deep black shadow, like sludge as he and Osiris exchanged words. Anubis couldn't recall what the argument was, but before he could react, Set grabbed Osiris' wide-collar necklace. All Anubis could recall seeing was the necklace being ripped off, beads and gold flying in the air, bouncing on the white stone walkways into the clear banks, and then Osiris was violently cast therein after having been stabbed by Set, blood flowing through the clear pools as the now dead king washed away.

Anubis didn't have time to react or understand what happened to his mentor and his friend, even as Set snarled at him, eyes and teeth blistering white against his ink-like skin and black clothing, red hair whipping like fire in the wind.

Set had spared him. Though 'spared' sounded like a too generous of a word. Anubis just soured on any concept that life or death was either a gift or a curse. After seeing death in action, to a mentor no less, he found he rather not have much to do with sentient lives after all. Not when he can have his own feelings and emotions reflected and projected upon other living creatures.

But now, Thoth gave him a task. Old Thoth who had stayed with him and comforted him (as much as Thoth was able to do) as he and Ma'at asked him questions about what happened during Osiris' murder. Through his testimony, the gods cast Set out for his crime.

Thoth came to understand him still and Anubis would be thankful enough for that to do just one task. His progress thus far was limited as he was getting into the flow of things, trying to recall how to do his methods on something other than small dolls.

"Pack your things!" he commanded in a rushed tone as he gathered scrolls and any utensils he could reach into his arms.

"Kaa?" Anubis looked around in confusion, at Thoth and at the tremors currently shaking dust onto his precious work.

"Zeus is letting us go. School emergency," he sniffed and nodded toward Anubis' work. "Pick that up. This our chance to escape to a better working environment. One less...hostile, wouldn't you say?"

Anubis didn't say a thing, not the very least before Thoth whipped around and ascended the stairs with his pile of scrolls in this hands.

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 **a/n: Boy are we hitting the ground running! No seriously, it's going to be going at 11 for at least a couple chapters. Yule Christmas was more of a balanced comedy with drama and dark themes, this is going to very slim on the comedy, I'm afraid. And the scale is much much broader. So in a lot of ways, though it is the sequel and spiritual successor of Yule Christmas it is very different tonally .**

 **I set it up that I was going to drag the Old One Eye into this, so I did. He was fairly easy to run away with so I had to cut some of it short. Anyway, read and review**


	3. Prose 2

**Disclaimer: All usual disclaimers apply.**

 **And this chapter is looooong and I did my grandest to get this sucker beta'd and edited before I posted it. Please bear with me, it's been a long enough wait.**

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Prose 2:

Tezcatlipoca knew something was amiss when the normally colored birds of his and Quetzalcoatl's dwelling silenced their long and musical calls. Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god in the form of a beautiful man, was beginning to get anxious.

"This is getting ridiculous...what mess can Zeus have gotten himself into here," Quetzalcoatl began murmuring to himself as he stepped outside of their stepped-pyramid and down the steps, sinking a ways to the forest. Tezcatlipoca growled as he too followed a ways back, having no choice as they were bound by an invisible thread in which they could not be further than a set distance away from each other. The tether was lengthy enough that if the two fought (which was often) they could find their solitary spaces in the corners of their temple.

But it wasn't enough for Tezcatlipoca, who stopped by the top step as he saw Quetzalcoatl stop a ways into the jungle, keeping an eye out for anything awry. Tezcatlipoca, atop his step, huffed through his nose at his fellow god, not realizing another god slinking his way around the corner of their pyramid.

"Doesn't take much to upset him, does it?" the voice, dark and dripping with coolness uttered and immediately Tezcatlipoca spun around and went on the defensive, hands up, fingers curled inward like claws ready to strike.

This god, who wore a black jacket of shiny leather, and whose hair was equally shiny and black, slinked forward, one hand in his jean pocket. He smelled of...Tezcatlipoca knew that smell, and his frown deepened.

"Now, now, mirror one of the night," the god crooned as he shook his dark head. "I'm much the same as you. Trapped here as all gods."

"I don't believe you," Tezcatlipoca scoffed eagerly putting the intruder to the test. "If you have, why not use it on yourself? Prove to me what you say"

"I already have, see?" Crom Cruach opened his jaw, grotesquely wide, eyes rolling up in his head, baring his rows of teeth, out flopped his slimy black tongue, a hole where once a limiter was pierced through.

Tezcatlipoca touched the spike through his nose. Crom Cruach's face returned to normal, his smile splitting into a grin. "What do you say?"

He thought for a moment, eyeing this god of...whatever warily. He knew he was up to something, but he wasn't quite sure he cared. He offered him freedom away from Quetzalcoatl, just a moment's peace without fear of having judgement staring right at him, almost hell bent in making sure he didn't change for the better. To be sure his expectations of his counterpart were correct and never to be questioned. Still, he asked, "What do you want in return?"

Crom Cruach just shrugged, "Can't one god offer another god a bit of help?"

Tezcatlipoca's silence said it all. The look of abject rejection of the very idea out of Crom Cruach's mouth masking his face in rigid stone. He was, as always, thoroughly unamused.

At the grimness, Crom Cruach's shoulders dropped and he sighed, hanging his head, "Alright, you got me. I do want something in return."

He then gestured towards Quetzalcoatl who moved parallel along the forest still keeping an eye out for what was upsetting him. "You see I want you to kill him."

Tezcatlipoca blinked, not thinking he heard right, "Excuse me?"

"I want you to kill that god. I know it seems like a lot to ask, or maybe, not too much?"

The thicker god ground his teeth, strong teeth attached to stronger jaws, "I don't know who gave you the idea, but

"I'm a dweller of darkness, not unlike yourself. I am particularly fearful of sun gods like him. Makes sense to inquire someone who can hold his own against him to ask the favor."

"You seem to be of the impression that I regard murder as nothing more than a 'favor'"

The smaller god's shoulders slumped as he gave a large sigh, "Aye, you're right. You got me. I sure can't force you to do much now…"

Then his lips parted revealing a wide toothy grin, "...but humans can."

Crom Cruach's jaw unhinged again exposing the black void of his esophagus, a sound erupting from it's depths, a loud obnoxious sound of off tone angry horns, bells, and drums-a call of human sacrifice from Tezcatlipoca's home.

Tezcatlipoca's dark color faded to ashen as his blood went cold. Fear seized his heart and darkness quickly flooded in. He tried to fight the sense of sickness that came upon him up but he couldn't help the burning feverish sensation he came upon him. He tried. He resisted the urge to slip into the comfort of that fever.

He failed.

* * *

Whatever caused the earth to shake, it wasn't isolated. The entire school felt it, the spirit students crowding the lawn, courtyard, and balconies of the school all to get a better look at the mysterious source of the shifting earth. Odin's Valkyries were high in the sky, awaiting orders from their master, the mighty Odin's lips pursed so thin underneath his helm as his one eye penetrated Zeus of with a calculating stare. Annoyingly, Zeus sighed in response, 'Do not think I don't know what you're doing One-Eye, but I can only take a hundred guesses as to what this is.'

"You see that?" Takeru murmured under his breath, staring with the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as a tremor followed the shifting glistening underneath the soil. Apollo was too busy racing down to the ground level, Tsukito following, his normally blank stare etched hard.

The younger gods waited for any cues from Odin or Zeus, but both seemed to be having a discussion over the matter through the wind, exchanging their thoughts by way of Huginn.

 _'Leave this matter to me, One-Eye,'_ Zeus sneered his thoughts wanting the Norse god to feel every bit of frustration he felt.

There was a time of stillness, but the gods knew something wasn't right. Zeus jumped from his own pondering and guilt onto his Pegasus, and he himself approached the center crater. "Apollo, keep everyone away from the perimeter," he barked.

His son didn't need to be told twice, but they were all caught off guard by Hades' shouts.

Hades felt as Zeus approached the center of the crater, a recoil, a pulsing feeling, as if whatever was underneath was coiling. To strike. Immediately, his gut told him with absolute assurance of what was going to attack his younger brother. His hands braced the railing of the balcony as he cried as loud as he could, "Zeus! Get away! It's the Hydra! It's the Hydra!"

Suddenly, almost within the blink of an eye, a giant snake-like head erupted from the plates of the earth and crashed into a spire on the school, it's giant teeth taking a bite out of the side paneling.

The gods stepped back in shock and then had to gather their footing as another head came out from the earth and aimed for the floor right below the balcony they were standing on.

It clicked that they were under attack.

Yui recovered picking herself off the ground, her ribs aching after the harsh fall as the foundation underneath her split apart. Immediately, her pain was ignored as she heard, beyond the ringing in her ears, cries of the students, god and otherwise as the monster wrested itself-many heads and all-from beneath the surface of the courtyard.

She felt a presence hover over her, voice pounding in her ears. Eventually, as the ringing faded, she could detect the roar of Thor, crying worriedly.

"Kusanagi! Yui! Are you alright?"

She could only mumble her response, shock hindering her ability to form words through the mess as the Hydra reigned terror. He picked her up by the shoulder and they fled through the crumbling arches, trying not to draw too much attention to any of the wailing heads.

With so many heads, it was harder to hide than they realized. A Hydra head towered over them, but before it could strike, it's neck was severed as a Valkyrie ran it through with her spear.

"You can't cut off the heads!" Zeus shouted as he shoved his staff into the jaws of one Hydra head. "More will just grow!"

"They are well aware of that!" Odin could be heard roaring back, allowing a patch of spirit students to hide behind his massive frame for protection. "But it's remove the head or their lives!"

Thor led Yui behind the ruins of an alcove, near the outskirts of the courtyard, the vast field marking their freedom from the Hydra. But Yui could only watch in horror as the Hydra's severed neck began to pulse and spurt goo and blood and mucus, tendons reshaping and veins realigning until a new head-and then another-formed completely from the neck. Her friends did their best to round the spirits away from the Hydra, virtually helpless without their powers.

"Apollo and the rest are still stuck there!" she cried in realization, trying, and failing, to pull Thor back. When he did stop, he whipped his head around and Yui jumped back at the wild gaze in his eyes.

"Loki!" Thor's eyes flashed in desperation. "I have to find Loki." His large hand tightened around her wrist and pulled her along.

"Thor! Stop!" Yui yelled wrenching her hand away from Thor's grip.

The larger boy's frown deepened and a slight prickle in the air told her that Thor was agitated. Yui didn't back down. She shoved a frustrated finger into Thor's massive chest, "I was told you were the protector of the innocent and helpless."

She gestured towards the chaos at the school, specifically at the Hydra heads snapping viciously at Valkyries and pockets of spirit students.

"But here you are running away when they need you the most."

"I am trying to salvage what's left of my friends," he was almost voiceless with emotion. The past few days having ruptured his calm exterior and he just...couldn't handle all the grief, fear, worry, and anger that he felt every waking minute ever since Balder died.

"We are your friends! And we can all help find Loki together, but we can't do that if everyone is dead!"

Thor's golden eyes fell on her, then drifted in the distance at the Hydra regenerating more heads. He could sense and hear it, the pain and agony in the spirits' voices unable to be rescued as their master was preoccupied.

The gods did the best they could with what they had, but they were all still bound by their cuffs and could only rely on their mortal bodies to survive the onslaught.

Takeru found a fallen Valkyrie's viking blade and did his best to use it to defend himself. He was lucky in averting the Hydra's detection, but he feared the moment he was would have to use such an oddly formed blade. He would have to get used to the grip and weight before he could ever think to attack with the damn thing.

"Tsukito! Brother!" he called and his brother, low to the ground behind a crumbled wall with other students, peeked his purple head around just slightly.

Takeru did his best to shout over the chaos, whilst now drawing attention, "If you can! Get to our dorm and get my sword!"

Tsukito didn't need an explanation, but he took one look at the Hydra and then back at his brother, "Can that work, without your powers?"

The younger brother could only shook his head, "Right now it's just worth a try. If you can break for it, I'll take care of them." He nodded towards the spirit students, all of whom looked too afraid to move from their spot. "God, this would be so much easier if I could fly!"

The Hydra had positioned it's massive winding body in the center of the courtyard, blocking alleyways. It would be difficult to get across without the one of the heads noticing. Never mind trying to avoid collateral damage. And it was getting harder to gain the courage to do anything as a Hydra head tore away the wing of one Valkyrie and ate her whole.

Tsukito took that moment to squeeze by the crumbled wall and make it across the courtyard. He was never the fastest god, especially without powers, but he seemed to run effortlessly, quietly, and he nearly made it past the courtyard and into the valley where he could break for the dorms, but his body froze, suddenly, a shock of loss searing his body that made him stumble and crash into the dirt.

The Hydra was still having most of its heads occupied by snacks and fighting gods and Valkyries, but to the moon god's horror, he found this unknown feeling had sapped all his strength. He struggled to get up when one head, a newer one, eyes still alight with eagerness to feast with it's siblings caught him.

The low purring hiss rumbled over Tsukito's head as the head eyed it's prey. It lunged, it's jaws nearly wrapping around Tsukito's body, when Takeru glided in, using the viking blade to keep the Hydra's jaws wedged open before it could eat his brother.

Immediately, Takeru grabbed Tsukito by his collar and half dragged him away as the head began thrashing against the sword stuck in it's jaws.

While Takeru and Tsukito were merely trying to survive one head, the body of the school was being demolished by the other heads.

"Run! Run! Run!" Hades yelled waving his arms to get the panicking students to evacuate from crumbling building. He turned down the hall, was about to meet a racing crowd a students until rubble and a hydra head crashed through the corridor wall, blocking their path. Hades stumbled backwards and directed the students behind him another way.

Again they were cut off by another head, and Hades cringed, not wanting to know if any of the spirits have been lost as a part of the enclosed floor crumbled below.

"Zeus!" he cried out to the empty air, "Let us free! We can't help in our states now!"

Zeus, upon Pegasus deflected a blow from a Hydra head, sparks from his lightning staff flying and singeing the ground. "Give me a second!" he ground at the wish of his older brother from far from his sight. "It's going to take a bit longer with all of you spread out, so either find a way to get together fast, or leave me to do my work and be patient."

Right as he finished his thought, he pulled Pegasus back abruptly narrowly missing a head that charged at them. Pegasus, in it's fear, jerked back too hard and knocked Zeus off his mount. The god tumbled to the ground.

Groaning against his pain, Zeus glanced over at Odin, frustrated and angry that the heathen seemed to do nothing but direct his warriors.

"Any help here!?"

After his ravens flew away, Odin's deep growling cackle cracked the sky open as he waved his spear over his head, slowly, dragging wind, storm, and earth with each powerful motion. As he did so, he shed his kingly form into his god form. A down right monster. His body grew larger, hulking, the fur donned cape becoming fur on his body, the skull of his helm molding over his human features, until it was only an unknowable grizzly skull with sharp teeth, fangs and strong jaws. His blue eye was gone. Black. Sunk into the depths of the skull. But the other socket-where his eye was missing, gleamed like a thousand suns, intense with power. At his command, rain fell, heavy, bathing everyone in lukewarm wetness. Not unpleasant, and it certainly set their minds on the storm coming.

The rain was for Zeus, who as he tasted it, felt its power deep in his breast. "It tastes like war," he realized. He gripped his staff tighter, feeling it's power surge through him and allow his own power to surge back.

With a cry Zeus lifted himself, staring only a moment at his monster of a rival, and smashed the fist that bore his staff into a charging Hydra head, creating such a shock, it flash fried the entire head. It lay limp, dead, but it's other heads were still lashing about, hissing in pain, specks of lightning zapping along it's scales.

"This is for Olympus!"

Zeus, infused with the rolling cloudy atmosphere of Odin's battle magic, grit his teeth and with all his might, focused his power on his staff, thrusting the end into the jaws of one of the bigger center ones and the courtyard was engulfed in a crackling white light.

When it was all said and done, all of the heads were on the ground, some crashing through the school and architecture, some collapsing through trees, all eyes cloudy and dull. It no longer moved. Only a few twitches in the muscles of the necks as the last remnants of the lightning surge dissipated from the creature's body.

The power surge spread throughout the Hydra's entire body, it's core fried and burned from Zeus' power. Killed the creature from the inside-out. Not much else was given to the Hydra, not as the survivors wearily found places to collect themselves.

Thor and Yui investigated the light, fearful they were too late in helping their friends. Only to find them gathering themselves, thinking in agony, of the terror that took place not just moments before.

"Miss Fairy! Yui!" she heard a familiar call. Yui could see the golden head of Apollo rush towards her. She withheld a cry of concern, seeing a long bleeding gash above his brow. He otherwise seemed fine, his green eyes bright from shock. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Everyone else okay?"

"We're fine…" a cough came from a tower of fallen rubble. Hades shook dust from his shoulders as he helped Dionysus move rock and stone around for the spirits to escape through. Hades coughed again and pointed his finger across the courtyard, beyond the sickeningly charred giant corpse of the Hydra.

Takeru's attention was otherwise drawn to his brother, who struggled against the uneasy feeling of loss gripping his stomach. His normal stoicism cracked as his brow furrowed.

"Brother? Are you okay?" Takeru came to his side, afraid briefly that he may have been injured during the chaos of trying to evacuate students. Tsukito took a bit too long to answer, but gasped sharply and blinked up at him, "I don't know. I feel...a pain...deep inside."

At that very moment, Huginn and Muninn returned from the skies and soundlessly landed on Odin's massive fur-donned shoulders as the Norse god calmed into his normal form. Blue eye and all.

"I would advise you let the Japanese gods return to their world. It seems they are next to meet Olympus' fate and Asgard is likely the same."

Takeru froze, mouth moving up and down like a fish, caught between comforting his brother and taking immediate action.

A voice, seeming to come from the corpse of the Hydra hissed through the air…

Crom Cruach's vision, in black leather and all was on the pile of limp Hydra heads, hands clenched behind his back.

"Ah, oh," Zeus uttered as if his arrival was of no shock to him. "I should have known."

"You should listen to the Allfather more often, Zeus. You may catch on to something," Crom Cruach bobbled his head, mocking the Olympian King. "Turns out, Balder's whole death and destruction bit...is exactly the opportunity for it."

Crom held out the mistletoe dagger, gleaming still in the uneasy fog of battle, but stained. Stained with blood and grime. "Blood of a the virgin...this case, a virgin god of light, is a powerful substance wouldn't you say? Here, this...this blood could unlock the chains of Hephaestus around these poor creatures' neck." He gestured towards the Hydra underneath him. "This blood that is potent enough to slice through my shackles."

In his other hand, he held out a familiar long red spike.

"Blood potent enough to free Tezcatlipoca, god of shadows. His cellmate, meanwhile, I can tell you, is not having a great time."

Yui's heart skipped a beat, thoughts immediately on Quetzalcoatl. Was he trapped? If Tezcatlipoca was free, then he could use his powers and…

No. Tezca would never do that. He would run away, flee the prison of Zeus' school. He wouldn't attack even his worst enemy when he was defenseless. Would he?

"As is your ward," black deathly eyes fell on Odin. The larger god seemed unfazed, face hardening into stone. "Loki was very gracious in handing this tool over, so I whisked him away. Far away from warmth and light."

Crom's face then hardened as well, seriousness for once crossing his insidious features, "A place of nothing."

Thor was the one to react, nearly charging after the god. He stopped remembering that he did not have the power to compete with him, still chained by Zeus' limiter, and Crom was not. And who knows what other creatures he had hiding.

Zeus' head turned abruptly to the far forest in the distance, watching as many colored birds dispersed from the tops of the trees in the far off distance, distressed and squawking.

"What now?" Zeus growled, heart stopping in fear of another attack.

To that Crom Cruach merely rose his brows, "Looks like Tezcatlipoca couldn't fight his true nature. Boy that sun god is more in trouble than I thought."

He had the entire school where he wanted them. Caught in chaos. The Hydra, dead students, homelands under attack, and now a wayward savage god somewhere hidden in the woods. Odin would've been impressed at the way this spry worm of a god managed to make everything fall right into place. So perfectly, like a glove.

And Crom's other traps were probably no less perfect.

Crom Cruach jerked his head towards the direction of the trees, and gave a haughty sneer "Might wanna get that before he does worse than the Hydra here."

The skin of the Hydra under his feet began to sizzle and smoke, and with a wide grin on his face, Crom Cruach disappeared, sinking into the crackling coils.

With a small glance around, noting at all the trusted gods in the garden were all gathered, Zeus grumbled in his chest, and tapped his staff into the ground. Apollo felt a lightness on his ring finger that he didn't realize was there until his shackle shattered. Another weight, a binding weight, a feeling he couldn't stretch or loosen his body was gone. Apollo inadvertently let out a breath of relief when he felt the rush of his power back.

Though everyone was officially free, none made an instinctual move to react, some gods looking to Zeus and Odin for further instruction, and others trying to decide their own actions. There was a concern for the remaining spirits, the mess and whatever horrors lie beyond. Apollo, still in his human form, mounted Pegasus and announced to his brother and uncle, "I'll go see to Cat-Cat and Quetz-Quetz, and make sure everything's okay."

"Are you coming?" Apollo asked as Pegasus cantered around to face the Totsuka brothers. "Or should I try to find you in your realm afterwards?"

"Does it look like we can help right now?" Takeru braced his arm around his brother, who seemed to be recovering from whatever sensation caused him to be incapacitated. It may have been the rush of their power being returned, but Tsukito still knew that the danger to their home was still there. Still, he calmed to Takeru's worries, much to Apollo's relief.

"Totsuka Takeru," Tsukito's voice cracked. He cleared his throat again and repeated, "Totsuka Takeru. I'll be fine enough to help. It's just a message from home. When we resolve this then we can go home and stop whatever is happening."

His younger brother did not seem convinced. Apollo said softly, "It's much better to work together than separated." Although Apollo meant it, he had a feeling they, as a group would be heading in separate directions, with so much ground and mystery to cover. And he wasn't convinced he could get Thor to abandon Loki for more than a moment necessary. "We won't abandon Olympus or the Takamagahara to this insanity, I promise."

"I don't know why you all are in such drastic hurry to make promises you can't keep," was Odin's low drawl in response to Apollo's optimistic idea. "You can't stop Ragnarok. It was an inevitability following Balder's death."

This small defeatist revelation flew Thor into a fever pitch, as he thought about all the meetings and talks he had with Odin, Frigg, and Loki about Balder. None of what he knew indicated that Balder's death would lead to disaster. He always thought the opposite. And he always hoped there would be a way to prevent disaster and keep Balder alive.

"B...but I thought that's why we had to end up killing him. To stop Ragnarok from happening!" Thor told his father.

The silence told him he was wrong.

"The absence of his light marks the descent of darkness. And the evil monsters it can carry. His death will bring the same destruction as his life."

"You...you lied to us?" Thor sounded so defeated, staring quite pathetically at his father. All that fear these past months, all the effort into getting Balder to understand humanity...was truly for nothing.

Odin gave him a small regard over his shoulder, as if addressing a fly, "I did not lie to you. I said as it was. Balder will be the end of the world, and he will die with it. Fate cannot be overturned."

And then the Norse god pulled off a ring from his massive ring finger and held it up. It was a simple white-gold with runes etched all along the side. "I can at least salvage what is left of the ashes when the end comes."

 _The end...comes?_ Yui thought in her head and quite suddenly she felt the distinct wretched feeling that her fate, her belief that everything would come out okay was now a distant fantasy.

She knew Odin was speaking of the end of the world. And combined with the helpless knowledge that no matter if Balder lived or died, the end would be the same just deflated all idea that anyone had control over the end-times. She was shaking, too afraid to cry or fear for her life, or worry about how she was too young to die.

"When this world crumbles, it can return along with Balder. He can rule the new world and bring it to peace after Ragnarok," Odin explained. "But in order for that to happen, I must have my boy." Odin, quite suddenly, sounded worn and aged, emotion dripping in his last statement. "At the very least, I have a right to say goodbye."

His fist closed around the ring and addressed his son, "Come, we'll return home to make the final preparation once I have Balder."

Thor swayed visibly on his feet, looking shockingly weak and frail, the power he was supposed to have deflated as if he were still bound by his shackles. The question at his throat came out in a whimper, "What about Loki?"

"What about him?"

The neutral tone Odin had was biting.

"We can't abandon him to whatever fate Crom Cruach has for him."

Odin didn't look at all swayed, "Crom Cruach and Loki are rather alike are they not? They lie and manipulate to get what they want."

Thor visibly bit back a retort, biting his lip hard enough to break. Odin stroked his beard, mulling over his own words. As he stroked his beard, he asked, more to himself than anyone else, "What's to say Crom Cruach doesn't have a trap for you as well?"

"Zeus let us go, I can and will defend myself if I have to," Thor tried to abate his father's concerns, how ever in vain they may be. With the world ending, there was little in terms of perfect planning they could do before it all engulfed him.

Odin stared at Thor for what seemed like ages. He wasn't speaking to him with the wind via his ravens either, he was just giving a hard stare, as if that alone could make Thor stand down. But, even with the world crumbling with no options, Thor impressively stood by his friends. That wasn't lost on Odin, no matter how trivial he viewed it.

"Fine, do as you wish, but whatever you do I advise that you do not do it alone."

The words tumbled out of Odin's mouth rushed, and a little afraid, the mask of unconcern crumbling, and Yui could only say she felt compelled. Compelled to do what, she did not know, and probably would never know. But she, without a second thought, flung herself forward and opened her mouth. She immediately regretted it.

"I'll go with him!"

Thor looked back suddenly very afraid. "What?" he gasped. Immediately Odin turned his head, one blue eye right on her.

Yui cursed herself. She took a few steps back as the Allfather strode towards her, his humanoid mask falling back away into the monstrosity of before with each step, hidden eye turning back into the sun's rage as suddenly his weight, like a bear rising up above her, ready to maul forced her to look into his fiery eye. She barely heard Thor's yells of protest before she became transfixed, sinking further and further into the heat, the burning gleam, memories of her past, her family's past, things she didn't know, things she wasn't around to see, and her recent time at school, flooded her brain like an unedited spliced cassette tape. But she felt warmth, surprisingly, like she was being held tightly in a cradle.

Next thing she knew her feet were back on the ground, Odin holding her steady by the shoulders, peering down at her, his face back to it's humanoid form. No human form. She felt she could safely say that. His one blue eye gazed down upon her through the shadow of his helmet. His face was otherwise unreadable, but in that moment as if he was weighing what he and Yui shared she could recognize Balder in that eye. Blue and clear as the seas, capable of mercy and comfort, and cold and distance.

She reached up and wiped away dashes of tears she didn't realize were down her cheeks. Odin spoke, his voice a low wind, forceful but tinged with understanding. "Very well, you can go."

"What?!" Yui barely noticed Thor had come up beside her and grabbed her arm, whipping her around. "Do you have any idea what you're dealing with here!? I'm sorry, Yui, but this isn't exactly something humans are qualified to handle!"

"You heard him," Yui gestured towards Odin. "It's the end of the world! What the heck else am I going to do? Just sit here?!"

Thor had no words as he glanced up at his father, who merely tilted his head. Perhaps a crack of a small smile underneath his handsome black beard. Thor nodded and took Yui's hand and pulled her over the rubble in the direction of their dorms.

Yui could barely keep her footing over the rubble as she followed Thor, making it into the open fields and trying to keep up with him as he increased his pace.

"Can I ask what that was?" she asked Thor between breaths, referring to the very out of body experience she had staring into Odin's gaze. She had a hunch Thor knew precisely what she was talking about.

"Well, he kinda took your soul," Thor said simply, his focus nearly completely on the task ahead.

Yui's eyes widened and she gave a sound of panic.

"Relax," Thor said almost dismissively, "he gave it back."

* * *

 **Wheewwie. That was a doozy and admittedly a bit of a clusterfuck, but I hope this was as clear and concise as it could be. Like I mentioned before, I'm not taking a lot of moments to stop here, it's gonna be a rollar coaster ride. But I hope this was worth the wait a little. Life has honestly been kicking me in the nuts since late last year with family and work, so bear with me.  
**


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